Woman killed by train on level crossing after trapping her foot

A young woman was killed by a train on a level crossing after her foot became trapped, despite attempts to pull her free, police said yesterday. The woman was crossing the line at Hythe station, near Colchester, Essex, when the barrier was down. Her foot got stuck in the wooden guards of the crossing, police said. A passenger on the train that struck her said the driver braked but was unable to stop in time.

A British Transport police spokesman said: "Two men attempted to pull her free from the crossing as the train, which was travelling between 40mph and 50mph, approached."

One man who attempted to save the woman said he had freed her but it was too late to stop her being hit by the approaching train. The incident took place at 8.10pm on Thursday night. Locals said the crossing was dangerous and people often slipped through the barrier before the train arrived.

Matt Wilson, who was on the 6.38pm train from Liverpool Street to Clacton, Essex, described the accident as awful. He said: "There was no warning, the driver slammed on the brakes.

"Just a minute later you heard the sirens. It is such a dangerous crossing. People chance it all the time. They just push back the barrier and run over. I've done it before - loads of people do it."

Jonathan Smith, 18, who had been waiting to get to the other side when he saw the 29-year-old woman get into difficulties, told how he tried to help her, but she slipped out of his grasp as the train approached. He said he watched her cross with a man he thought was her boyfriend when the barrier was down.

Smith said: "I saw the train coming. I just thought, I've got to save her. I went through and saw she had her foot stuck at first and I grabbed her hand and got her foot out. I had her in my arms, she was safe." But as the train sped nearer, she fell out of his grasp and was hit, he said.

"The train was about 25ft away. The train didn't have any choice to stop. She just curled up in a ball. Her boyfriend jumped out of the way."

Smith said: "I tried to help her but I slipped on the wet. It was lucky I wasn't hit. I was still holding her hand when the train came. My friend told me to let go of her hand, otherwise I would lose my arm. All I thought about was saving her."

The father of the woman, who has not been named, visited the scene yesterday afternoon as floral tributes of daffodils and roses were left at the side of the tracks.